This how-to video by Angela Fiebelkorn is about Wedding Invitations and Etiquette, the wordings, examples. It’s part of the 20 free planning series.

This how-to video by Angela Fiebelkorn is about Thank You Notes for Gifts and Cash/Money, the wordings, examples. It’s part of the 20 free planning series.

You might want to choose a selection of handmade greeting cards and write all of your invitations by hand – this is usually best suited for small weddings – after all, you don’t really have the time or the stamina to hand write 300 invitations!

Keep in mind you should choose themed wedding invitations that are in keeping with your wedding theme. For example, if you send a very formal wedding invitation and you are having a beachfront wedding where everyone is to come barefoot, these two are highly conflicting and the formal invite will give guests the wrong message. Your invitations most definitely will give your wedding guests a clue about your wedding theme, whether it will be casual or formal and provide basic information on how to dress for the occasion.

No matter what theme you have chosen for your wedding day, you can find (or custom make) the perfect complimentary theme wedding invitations. From beach and seaside weddings, to Asian and butterfly theme weddings, just use your imagination to find the perfect collection of wedding invitations and accompanying stationary.

As the final piece de resistance, use monogram stickers or custom ordered wedding seals for your stationary. A good tip is to include an extra seal or sticker for your guest to ’save the date’ on their calendar.

Source:

This article was submitted by Jennifer C. Mills, a wedding planner and expert author from TheBridalCoach.ca and Articles4Brides.ca.

You have finally found that special person whom you want to be with for the rest of your life and so you are getting married. Congratulations!

A new life will begin for you as a spouse, and together you will embark on a journey that is riddled with trials and tribulations but also filled with lots of love, contentment and happiness. To mark the beginning of this lifetime adventure will be a wedding you would remember, one you would also like your guests to remember.

Because you will be spending a lot of money for the wedding, you also want to ensure your guests arrive equally prepared either in attire or in spirit, to suit the theme you have chosen. Thus the wedding invitation to send them must be as unique as the celebration you have planned.

Besides having a one-of-a-kind invitation in terms of its design and colour, one way to ensure yours is unique is to make sure the wordings you used in the invitation touches the hearts of the recipients. Sometimes we may not remember what an invitation or a greeting card look like but we remember its content and, of course, the person to send it to us. At the end of the day, the messages you convey through good wordings is more powerful than the make and design of the invitation itself.

One way to find creative wording for wedding invitation is by looking up samples of it at the local print and stationary stores in your area. They usually have a large number of phrases, verses and beautifully written paragraphs for just such occasions. Also, you should make some time and browse for such creative wordings to use in your invitation over the Internet. You may end up overwhelmed by the choices.

However, whether you are looking through the sample book at your local printer or the thumbnail pictures of wedding invitations on the internet, it is important to match the invitations you choose to the overall theme of your wedding. This actually is quite easy to do.

The importance of planning early cannot be overstated when it comes to any aspect of wedding planning, but this may be even more true when it comes to things like invitations. Remember that your guests will need plenty of advance notice of your wedding so that they can make the necessary travel and lodging arrangements, find babysitters, buy gifts, etc.

After choosing the design for your wedding invitations you explore ways to express your relationship and wedding plans through creative wording. Some select a special quotation they love or romantic poem; others write personal thoughts from the heart, while those planning a fun and casual wedding play around with wording even using rhymes.

Creative wording for wedding invitations can also be inspired by the couple’s common interest, the exotic or unusual location of the wedding, the invitation design, or wedding themes including Disney and fairytale.

Traditional wedding invitation wording often extends a gracious request for the using words like “honour us with your presence”. (The British spelling of the word is maintained even in America because it is especially reserved for wedding services held in a church or a synagogue. Less formal wording ranges from a request for the pleasure of your company or presence to an invitation to celebrate the couple’s joyous occasion.

Whether you seek to follow expert wedding invitation etiquette or relax and follow your own personal style depends on whether the wedding is formal or casual. Regardless, there are a few tried and true traditions worth examining from all over the internet.

Wedding can be a costly affair if one chooses to have the customary wedding ceremony, reception, party, photos and favors, not to mention the number of guests to be invited. Thus, for the bride and bridegroom who are on a budget constraint, they may cut down whatever they think is not necessary or choose for some “Do-It-Yourself” (DIY) options for certain items that cannot do without like the wedding invitation cards.

Do it yourself invitation card is very unique and personalized as you cannot find any other cards that are similar to it. You can choose your own paper type, colors, font size and type, wordings and design. There are hundreds, if not thousands of variety to choose from. To get some idea, browsing through any greeting card retail shops or stationery shops will give you more than enough choices to select from. By touching and feeling the paper itself, you would have a better idea how your card would end up like with the type of paper chosen. If visiting the shops is too inconvenient to you, then browsing through the internet is another alternative. You get to see for yourself the wide selection of wedding cards sample from various suppliers from different countries and, mix and match some of the designs to tailor it to your preference or one that matches the wedding theme. You can also refer to the bridal magazines for more ideas.

For paper, there is the embossed paper where one side of the paper has an imprinted pattern. It is not fit to be printed on the normal printer but can be used as a cover. If wordings need to be written on this paper, then you can opt for handwritten messages. This can be time consuming unless you have the manpower to write or there are not many cards to write on, for example for a guest list of below 50. For a more lavish outlook, there is the flocked paper, a patterned paper with velvet-like finish. This is also not printer compatible. Printed paper comes in various designs and colors, both in paper and card weight. This is very popular as it can be printed on laser printer and most inkjet printers. For a more glittering look, you can choose the metallic and shimmering paper. It is a flat colored paper with some pearlescent finish.

Reversible paper provides the option of different colors on each side of the paper, mostly contrasting colors that make it more outstanding. This type of paper is compatible with lasers and most inkjet papers. If you prefer paper of different texture to give a different look, then textured paper is the one you can consider. It provides various texture depths in flat colors and is compatible with laser and most inkjet printers. For a semi-transparent look, you can look for the translucent and vellum paper. It comes in varied colors and printed deigns. If you need a more outstanding outlook, then specialty paper can be used as it comes with different finishes from silk to rayon and metallic marbled. It is best used for decoration purposes.

For some simple decorations on do it yourself wedding invitations, you can choose the craft paper punches for the various shapes that can make your wedding invitation cards more interesting. There are relatively cheap so you can basically have a few of them to create different outlook for the cards such as heart-shape, star, pine tree and sea shell. They are also easy to use so that almost any adult can help to decorate with these fun punches.

Another simple and affordable accessory that can make a simple card look great is the ribbons. Besides its decorative nature, it also helps to bind papers together elegantly, like binding the vellum paper over the card stock. Colored and imprinted ribbons that match the color and design of the card can make the card very attractive.

Weddings nowadays have become a means for the couples to express their very own style, personality and preferences. More and more couples opt to have a themed wedding celebration and all the details related to it are personalized and custom-made to match perfectly with the chosen theme. One of the popular wedding themes in the current trend is the beach wedding ceremony and reception. The invigorating ocean breeze, the sound of the crashing waves, the adoring color of sunset and the tickling sensation of the warm sand under your feet all add the elements of romance and elegance to the whole wedding ensemble. Beach wedding invitations will prepare your guests for something extraordinary and deserves to be remembered for years and years to come. This article will concentrate on and provide you with some superb ideas for designing your very own beach wedding invitations.

You can find an immense selection of beach wedding invitations available in the current market. The most practical and quickest way to get started is by browsing through bridal websites you can find on the internet. Most of these websites have pages listed under various categories. Try searching for pages under the title ‘Beach Wedding Invitations’. Here you can find beautiful invitations in numerous styles, designs and price ranges. If you search hard enough, you might find the perfect one that fits impeccably with your wedding. You can choose to purchase them directly online or you may want to extract and collect several ideas from your research and come up with your own customized design. You can also get the service of professional wedding invitation designers to help you out.

First, decide on the formality of your reception. Is it going to be a formal reception or just a casual beach wedding party? This will affect the process of you choosing the suitable wedding invitation. Beach weddings are generally quite different compared to traditional wedding receptions. You may have guests that had never attended a beach wedding before. In this case they may not know what to expect and it is up to you to ease their curiosity and anticipation by providing sufficient information in your wedding invitation. Among other information that must be stated in your beach wedding invitation includes the attire, weather condition and accessibility to the wedding location.

Next, if you are opting for invitation cards, you may want to choose the suitable paper that will be used. Light and delicate paper may not be durable and may get torn during mailing. Thick cards on the other hand are much heavier and may affect the postal charges. The best is to use paper or cards with intermediate thickness. The printing company may provide you useful advice to help you on this. You may then want to consider the color of the paper that suits the theme. Colors often associated with beach weddings are such as white, cream, taupe, shades of blue, aquamarine or even strong sunset colors such as dark red, buttercup yellow and rust. Some paper also comes with textures and motives of seashells, corals and starfishes.

Your beach wedding invitation can come in the form of a simple single card or folded. Single cards can be cheaper but provide very limited space for the wordings. Accordion cards, gate fold, bi-fold or beach tri-fold wedding invitations on the other hand can be more costly but give enough room for the printing of wordings and provides different panels so that the wordings are more organized.

Your beach wedding invitation can be printed with beautiful photograph of a beach scenery or sunset by the seaside. Beach-related motives such as waves, bubbles or swaying palm trees can also be included as part of the background design. You can also choose to decorate and embellish your invitation cards with fine beach sand, miniature corals, seashells and starfishes to add that special touch. These ornaments can be easily purchased from your local craft store. Do make sure that these items are glued and properly fastened to ensure that they do not fall off during the mailing process. Your beach tri-fold wedding invitations can also be decorated with satin ribbons, laces and even strings of pearls to obtain that classy and elegant look.

Finally, you may want to include a romantic poem or poetry that contains beautiful wordings associated with your beach theme. For instance, should you choose to go for beach tri-fold wedding invitations, this poem can occupy one of the panel inside your card while the other panels can be used for the other details. Wordings are also considered as part of the design so make sure you choose the suitable typestyle. Instead of using black colored wordings, why not printing them in gold or silver so as to make the invitation appears more lavish and sophisticated.

Beach weddings are reminiscent of young summer love; you might get dizzy because of the heat but at the same time, it feels good. This kind of wedding is definitely the kind that encourages you to let down your hair and bask in the ambience, or more specifically, in the sun. But more importantly, this kind of wedding will definitely be easier on the budget and will not break the bank. For those couples who are very smart when it comes to money, here are some ideas that will make your dream wedding come true but without the hefty price tag.  

A cheap but really chic invite

Invitations are the first things that a couple should contemplate on. Would they have specially made invitations or order them in bulk in order to lower the costs? Of course these couples would like cheap beach wedding invitations, but they’d also like them to be chic and fabulous. So, the first thing that couples should do is to canvass and look for stores or websites that offer one-of-a-kind invitations that are easy on the eyes and on the budget. Another thing that couples should be on the lookout for is special offers and discounts.

But of course, before a couple can decide on what kind of invites they should have is they should know what their wedding’s theme is. Do they like a Hawaiian inspired wedding complete with Hibiscuses or a more nautical inspired wedding with sailboats and shells?

If a couple likes a Hawaiian inspired wedding more than a nautical one, then they can have invitations that are really fun to make and to look at. The invitations could be anywhere from bright and classy to flip flops-shaped invitations. You could practically let your imagination run wild and do your own thing.

But if a couple likes a nautical inspired wedding complete with sailboats and seagulls, then this is the chance for them to create something simple, elegant but not too prim and proper or formal.  
 

The advantages

Having cheap beach wedding invitations is definitely a great idea because if you don’t splurge on the invites, then you can splurge on the other aspects of the wedding, like the food or the entertainment. It depends on what you think deserves the most attention or what aspect you think is best remembered. A good tip however, is that no matter the occasion, be it a birthday, Christmas party or in this case a beach wedding, the guests that come always expect the food and entertainment to be really good. The food comes first because it is the first thing that people will rave about.

Other ideas in order to have really cheap invitations

Another helpful reminder is that if you make things yourself, you will definitely cut costs. So if you really want cheap but at the same time beautiful invitations, then you might as well make it yourself. But, if you want the design and the execution to be your own, you still might need the help of your good and reliable friends and family. You might want to consider buying a pen and ink in order to have invitations that are handwritten for that ultra classy and old world feel. But, you will need to enlist the help of a family member or friend with a good handwriting for this. 

If you want to make your own invites but would rather have them printed with the help of your computer, then you might want to consider buying a kit or downloading one from the internet. These kits are definitely helpful since you will have a preview of what a combination of styles would look like. If you think a particular combination is pretty but when the screen in front of you says otherwise, then you can easily change your design or concept without wasting money but if you try a lot of things too much and have a hard time deciding on what design to choose, then you might take a long time before your invitations are completed. 

Just remember that as long as the design or style reflects the personality of the couple, then it is okay to experiment with the design or concept. As long as both of you like the outcome, then it’s okay.

Talking about popular weddings for the contemporary groom and bride who are mostly no longer inclined to traditional wedding ceremonies and are more adventurous and experimental when it comes to choice of designs and styles, the beach has become a venue to an intimate event where it—together with the trees and the sea and the sky—acts as a silent witnesses to the exchanging of vows. One main reason why opting for a beach wedding would be advantageous is that it is a lot less formal and therefore everyone would be completely at ease with themselves, with other guest and with the wedding, itself. Couples who like a less formal event with no pretensions at all would quickly choose a beach wedding. And with the less formal beach wedding comes a less formal wedding invitation.

Here are some helpful reminders in having your wedding beach invitation:

1. The beach theme might be the very first thing that would come to your mind when planning the wedding invitations that you spend hours perhaps even a couple of days pondering on it but that should not be the case. What you need to do first is to get a piece of paper and write down every person you want to in your wedding day. As soon as you finished making the guest list, total them. It is important that you know the total number of people coming to your wedding not only for the preparation of foods and other things, but mostly because it would determine the number of invitations that you are going to order or make.

Don’t be too confident to rely on estimations especially if you are going to get the service of a printing company for your invitations. Normally there would be a minimum number of copies (usually 30 to 50 copies per order) acceptable for printing. So, what if you lack, say eight copies then how would you produce those eight invitations? It would be an embarrassing situation on your part and you might even get stressed because of such incident. Also, if you will be having 70 guests, do not order 70 copies of invitations. Don’t’ go for the exact number. Order in excess but not too many of course because that’s unwise spending already. Ten to fifteen copies will do and the reason behind this is that some guests might misplace their copies and request for another one. Or there would be additional guests to be included in the list or if expecting for the unexpected, you forgot to include a certain uncle or aunt or a long lost friend. Spared wedding invitations would surely come handy in many unexpected moments.

2. Matching the beach wedding theme to the style and design of the card could be a tough task for some, but since we said earlier that beach wedding is a less formal event so a less formal wedding invitation should be made, then it would not be as complicated as it appears to be in the first place. Choices for invitations are almost limitless and could be as easy as Do Re Mi. As a matter of fact, capturing a serene image of the beach and putting it into your invitation would be sufficient indication already that you are going to host a beach wedding.

Aside from the beachfront, there are other beach scenarios or beach figures that would immediately tell or remind the guests that it’s going to be a beach wedding. The powdery white sand, crossed palms, sea shells and opened clams, the waves crushing on the rocks or abating at the shoreline… just wander your eyes at the location and observe your environment for the right beach icon.

Beach wedding invitations shells of love could be very suitable and very lovely (as the name already suggest) expressions of your wedding announcement. Just be inventive and creative. There are shells available at department stores and even at pet shops (because shells are used as ornamentations for aquariums) or more excitingly, you could go out to the beach and pick them up yourself. Paste or attach the shells and then arrange them in such a way that it would somehow evoke the intimacy or closeness that you share with your future partner.

3. Beach wedding cards can also be availed from various local shops and there is an assortment of such that come in reasonable prices. There are also designers or artists who could share their concepts. With the constant popularity of beach weddings surging, designs for beach wedding invitations has also increased and improved. Couples have more options to choose from and if they would wish to have a unique design prepare to shell out some extra cash and they can have that design exclusively for their own wedding only.

Looking for a unique beach wedding invitation can be relatively easy if only you will be patient and diligent in looking for one. Remember “the early bird catches the early worm” thought? Do your invitation hunting the very first thing in the morning so that you could have ample time to search, decide and choose and also for the important reason that you need to get those invitations sent to your guest so they could prepare for it longer.

Just simply let the beach ambiance be reflected in your wedding invitations. Best wishes!

A wedding invitation is similar to an entrée or appetizer in a sense that it gives guests a sneak peak or preview of what to expect during the wedding. An all-white and lace bedecked invitation could suggest a white or even a traditional Victorian wedding. While an invitation with Hawaiian hibiscuses would simply scream destination wedding in a tropical paradise. A couple’s taste can be seen in an invite, so for the artistically inclined, a store-bought and common invite simply wouldn’t do. Opting for blank wedding invitations could be the solution to that problem.

When to decide and get started
Right after a couple decides on their theme or chosen motif, whether it be a seaside wedding, backyard wedding or even a Hollywood-inspired wedding, it is important to note down the next important aspects of the wedding: the all-important written request to come, the dress, the wedding cake and so on. This is also the right time to decide on whether to choose to buy empty or blank encouragements for the guests or just choose from a variety that a store has.

Why buy blank invites?
A wedding’s every aspect is an expression of the couple – from the cake down to the wedding dress. So if a couple opts for a store-bought invite that looks very common and unmemorable, what would that say about their personalities? Also, when one starts from scratch and puts into mind every detail of a wedding, including the invite, it gives the couple a chance to bond and share those moments together. It is also important to note that little details like a seashell or a cluster of wildflowers would give guests an idea of what to expect at the nuptials. 

It is way cheaper, need I say more?
Deciding on making invitations yourself will definitely be cheaper, except if you make use of very expensive materials. It will also be harder and will take more time. But with the help of a computer, you can create a spectacular, one-of-a-kind and priceless invite that you can show off to your future kids and proudly say that you created it.

Make it unique and extraordinary
After choosing to work with blank wedding invitations, one should remember that the paper itself is like a solid foundation to a house – it should not be easily damaged but at the same time it should be a beautiful expression of the couple’s preferences or taste. The next thing that should come to mind is the color. A catchy color combination, like pink and green or a very classy and traditional one, like white and black, is also an important consideration that would make for a stand-out invite. Also, one shouldn’t forget whether to go for a traditional envelope or something new and innovative to use as a container to make for something truly unforgettable.    

While you’re at it, why not construct your own wedding program?
If you are up to it and you feel that you can finish everything on time, then why not? If your invitations and programs are made by different people (you made the invites while you had your programs made by others), then there’s a possibility that the over-all look wouldn’t be coordinated. This is also the chance for you to make this a family affair. Couples could invite their aunts, nephews or cousins over and let them pitch in their ideas. This is the perfect time to get to know the in-laws or vice-versa. Just don’t forget that you as a couple should make the final decision when it comes to design, construction and over-all look of the wedding programs.  

Other things to put into consideration
Other things that you can make (for those who have extra time on their hands) are seating cards. If you have a good handwriting, then making use of cursive characters will make for elegant yet simple seating cards. Or you can make use of Photoshop and release your inner artist and create unique designs and patterns. But the most important thing to remember is that while making these things, you should always have fun. Also, you should try to visualize your dream output while looking at your blank wedding invitation; just like an artist does before his/her own empty canvass. You never know, but a totally random thought could be the start of a really creative design.

Every groom and every bride in any part of the world want their weddings to become one of the most special and one of the most beautiful events of their lives.  They want this event to live in their memories and assume a special place in the minds of the many that have experienced it.

If you are planning on a wedding right now, it is more likely that both you and a partner would have to spend a fortune to make things right and make all necessary preparations. There’s a lot of way for you to save money and stick to the lowest budget possible.  To start with, you can focus your attention on discount wedding invitations.

It is likely that one can get their discount wedding invitations from a lot of sources. You can also find a multitude of ways to do this. A risk, however, is if you would be getting wrong invitations or invitations that are given late. To alleviate this risk, some advices are given to you below. These are tried and tested. You will need to remember that it would most probably require you three months prior to the time that you intend to give out the invitations. That’s the very reason why you have to think of the printing of those invitations early on.  The reason behind this long preparation is to ensure that if anything goes wrong, you can easily remedy it.

The Printing Company

One has to remember that printing discount wedding invitations would most probably be treated as a one-off job since after doing one batch of these invitations, you would most probably not deal with the printing company again. The printing company would most probably know this so they might not treat you as well as customers whom they believe they would be doing business again. Because of this, it is very important to have a close contact with the printer. You don’t want your invitations to go at the bottom of a printing company’s work pile. By having close contact with the printer, you can have regular updates up until the time that the printing has been finished for your invitations. Even if you have agreed on the services of the printing company for a discounted price, you still have all the rights as a consumer to demand the highest quality for what you have paid for.

Connections

If it is possible, the best way to get the best deal in discount wedding invitations would be to use any connections that your family or friends may have with any printing companies. Majority of printers nowadays would most probably rely on referrals and return businesses to become the major source of positive income for their respective businesses. As a general rule of thumb, if a business gave you a great service, you would tell and refer it to others which would eventually lead them to try the service or product. If they are contented, the cycle may continue and more people might try out the service or product. Same goes with a printing company.

Double Checking

Although a family member or friend had referred you to a certain printing company, you should still research and double check the background of the company and the services that they might be offering. You have to see to it that the company is really offering the printing service at a discount price and is not making any marketing tactics to make it look that it is on discount when it is not. You should always take the time to do this. It would save you both time and money.

Online

Another good option to source out your wedding invitations at a discounted price would be through the internet. You would be surprised to find a variety of companies that offer their printing services at a very noticeable discount rate. These printing companies might be advertised through their website or other middle man or auction sites like eBay. However, you should consider 4 things when dealing with an online company.

The first thing to consider is to make sure that you constantly contact the company to make sure that your orders don’t get delayed and the company will always remember it.

Another thing to consider is to not rely in online ways to communicate like email, forums, etc. You should be able to find other means to contact them like their phone numbers.

If you are dealing with printing companies, or in this case, in any company that are advertised in eBay, make sure that the user advertising the service or product has a high feedback from many customers.

A proof copy should be requested and should be emailed to you before any kind of printing would commence.